Oh god I need a gun right now
The shocking truth about Muslims in America
(CNN)Donald Trump unleashed a firestorm of criticism from liberals, conservatives and those in between when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
But while such a ban is unlikely to be implemented in a country founded by immigrants, the cheers that followed his announcement at the South Carolina rally are telling.
"I think that we should definitely disallow any Muslims from coming in. Any of them," supporter Charlie Marzka, 75, told CNN. "The reason is simple: we can't identify what their attitude is."
Indeed, the truth about Muslims in America is shocking -- but not in the way Trump and his supporters might think.
A look at polls and studies conducted in the last few years show that Muslims have been crucial in helping law enforcement find terror suspects in the United States. Many have served in the military protecting the country against terrorists. And in many ways, they're a lot like other everyday Americans.
Here's the reality of Muslims in America -- and how it smashes stereotypes:
They are a miniscule portion of the U.S. population
It's difficult to come by hard numbers because the U.S. Census doesn't collect religious data. But the fear of Muslims taking over and imposing Sharia law is unfounded. By some estimates, Muslims make up less than 1% of the U.S. adult population. By 2050, their numbers will grow -- to 2.1%. Of all the Muslims in America, 63% are exactly the kind Trump wants banned -- immigrants.
They're better educated than most Americans
U.S. Muslims have the second-highest level of education among major religious groups in the country; Jews have the highest. And a greater proportion of them have college degrees than the general U.S. population.
They have more gender equality
While in many parts of the Muslim world, women are confined to second-class status, that's not the case among American Muslims. Virtually all of them (90%) agree that women should be able to work outside the home. American Muslim women hold more college or post-graduate degrees than Muslim men. And they are more likely to work in professional fields than women from most other U.S. religious groups.
The shocking truth about Muslims in America - CNN.com
The shocking truth about Muslims in America
(CNN)Donald Trump unleashed a firestorm of criticism from liberals, conservatives and those in between when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
But while such a ban is unlikely to be implemented in a country founded by immigrants, the cheers that followed his announcement at the South Carolina rally are telling.
"I think that we should definitely disallow any Muslims from coming in. Any of them," supporter Charlie Marzka, 75, told CNN. "The reason is simple: we can't identify what their attitude is."
Indeed, the truth about Muslims in America is shocking -- but not in the way Trump and his supporters might think.
A look at polls and studies conducted in the last few years show that Muslims have been crucial in helping law enforcement find terror suspects in the United States. Many have served in the military protecting the country against terrorists. And in many ways, they're a lot like other everyday Americans.
Here's the reality of Muslims in America -- and how it smashes stereotypes:
They are a miniscule portion of the U.S. population
It's difficult to come by hard numbers because the U.S. Census doesn't collect religious data. But the fear of Muslims taking over and imposing Sharia law is unfounded. By some estimates, Muslims make up less than 1% of the U.S. adult population. By 2050, their numbers will grow -- to 2.1%. Of all the Muslims in America, 63% are exactly the kind Trump wants banned -- immigrants.
They're better educated than most Americans
U.S. Muslims have the second-highest level of education among major religious groups in the country; Jews have the highest. And a greater proportion of them have college degrees than the general U.S. population.
They have more gender equality
While in many parts of the Muslim world, women are confined to second-class status, that's not the case among American Muslims. Virtually all of them (90%) agree that women should be able to work outside the home. American Muslim women hold more college or post-graduate degrees than Muslim men. And they are more likely to work in professional fields than women from most other U.S. religious groups.
The shocking truth about Muslims in America - CNN.com
